1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a plasma display panel device, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel having improved exhaust efficiency.
2. Discussion of the Related Technology
Generally, a plasma display panel (hereinafter, referred to as a PDP) is a display device in which ultraviolet rays, emitted from the plasma generated by gas discharge, excite phosphors to emit visible light, and thereby realize predetermined images.
PDP devices using three-electrode surface-discharge-type structure have been widely known. This type of PDP device includes a first substrate, display electrodes formed on the side of the first substrate, a second substrate spaced away from the first substrate and address electrodes formed on the side of the second substrate and in a direction generally perpendicular to the display electrodes. The display electrodes include scan electrodes and sustain electrodes. A discharge gas is sealed in the space between the two substrates.
Discharge is initiated by applying an appropriate voltage between the address electrodes and scan electrodes. The discharge is continued by applying a sustain voltage between a pair of sustain and scan electrodes, thereby generating luminance.
Display electrodes are formed on the first substrate which forms a front panel of the PDP devices. The display electrodes are generally elongate in one direction. In addition, the display electrodes are typically covered with a dielectric layer and a protective layer is formed thereon.
On the other hand, the address electrodes are formed on the second substrate which forms a rear panel of the PDP device. The address electrodes are typically covered with a dielectric layer. A plurality of barrier ribs, partition the space between the first and second substrates into independent discharge spaces, called discharge cells.
To form these barrier ribs, a sand blasting method may be used. According to this method, a barrier rib paste is prepared by mixing filler, glass powder, a binder, and a solvent and applying the mixture on the dielectric layer. Then the paste is dried at a temperature of about 120° C., by which solvent is volatilized to form a layer of the barrier rib material.
Next, patterns of the discharge cells are transferred to the barrier rib layer using photoresist. A dry film resist is attached to the barrier rib layers, and the dry film resist is exposed and developed using a mask, to transfer the patterns. In addition, a sand blasting process is performed using the patterned dry film resist, and portions of the barrier rib layer are then selectively removed, leaving barrier rib structures.
Then, the dry film resist on the remaining barrier rib structures is removed, and the barrier rib structures are baked at a temperature of about 500° C. to form barrier ribs. The binder is evaporated and the glass power is dissolved and solidified, and the glass powder reacts with the filler to form the barrier ribs.
As noted above, the barrier ribs formed in this way partition the space between the first and the second substrates into respective independent discharge spaces, which improve discharge efficiency. Specifically, the individual discharge spaces partitioned by these barrier ribs increases the size of the phosphor-applied area
However, the individualized (closed) structure of the discharge space (cell) has low exhaust efficiency as discussed below. In the manufacturing of PDP devices, after the rear substrate and the front substrate are bonded together to form a sealed space, impurities remaining in the sealed space need to be exhausted, and each discharge cell is filled with a discharge gas. However, when the discharge cells have the closed structure, exhausting the impurities may be difficult since each discharge cell occupies its own independent space.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a technology has been suggested in which exhaust grooves are formed in the barrier ribs to provide passages between the respective discharge cells. However, this technology is disadvantageous in that the manufacturing process becomes complicated to create exhaust grooves. The foregoing discussion does not constitute an admission of prior art.